The zombie comedy 2019 The dead don’t die The film was not appreciated at the time, but now it finds its audience on Netflix. The film is trending this week – possibly due to its star-studded cast. If you have access to a Netflix subscription this holiday season, be sure to take the time to check this one out.

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The dead don’t die was written and directed by indie film pioneer Jim Jarmusch. The star-studded cast includes Bill Murray, Adam Driver, Chloë Sevigny, Steve Buscemi, Tilda Swinton, Tom Waits, Danny Glover, Caleb Landry Jones, Rosie Perez, Iggy Pop and Carol Kane, RZA, Austin Butler and Selena Gomez. It’s an absurd comedy set in a small American town during a sudden zombie invasion. Murray, Driver and Sevigny play local police trying to deal with the onslaught.

The film offers impressive action, a surprising amount of laughter and many moments of genuine terror. The whole thing is characterized by a feeling of unreality, with deliberately nonsensical dialogue and stilted performances in places. However, this serves to heighten the eeriness of the story and ultimately contributes to the unexpected ending.

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The dead don’t die premiered at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival and had a limited theatrical release in the United States the following month. A month later, the film received a limited theatrical release in the UK Box office mojoThe film grossed a total of $15.3 million at the box office, but the production budget was not disclosed, making it difficult to say how successful or unsuccessful it was financially.

Critical, The dead don’t die is just as difficult to pin down. The film has received a 54 percent positive rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with an average rating of 5.8 out of 10. Critics found it enigmatic with an ever-changing tone, although many agreed that the cast made it watchable and held the story together. My review at the time was on the positive end of the spectrum – I felt that the film’s use of a small town setting to tackle global issues was riveting to watch from start to finish.

Still, viewers who come to this film expecting a zombie movie, a Bill Murray movie, or any of the other formulas promoted here will be disappointed. The film plays with genre and expectations to confuse its viewers without ever delivering the expected catharsis. Above all, it is a Jim Jarmusch film, and viewers should know that in advance.

The Dead Don’t Die is rated R and may not be a good choice for most family gatherings in the coming weeks. It’s hard to say why it’s streaming right now, even though the cast is so large and so praised that there’s a good chance someone in the ensemble is trending right now. Netflix may be recommending it based on the success of another title with the same stars, but if so, it’s not immediately obvious.

The Dead Don’t Die is now streaming on Netflix. It is also available to rent or purchase on Blu-ray and DVD.